Liquid or gel dishwashing detergents with good grease removal benefits are much desired by consumers. Calcium and magnesium ions have been added to certain liquid or gel detergent compositions to improve grease cleaning benefits. However, it may be necessary to limit the pH and/or add chelating agents to stabilize these compositions. Ampholytic surfactants (amphoteric surfactants) in a dishwashing detergent composition provide mildness to the composition by mitigating the harshness of anionic surfactants.
It has been found that magnesium or calcium ions when added to a liquid or gel detergent composition containing certain alkyl amphocarboxylic acids surprisingly improves the stability, grease cleaning and sudsing of the composition at mildly alkaline pH (i.e., pH 7-10).